By Megan Miller, Editor
TRUSSVILLE — Hewitt-Trussville High School graduate Martin Morrow is returning to his hometown to participate in the first ever Birmingham Comedy Festival.
The festival takes place May 20-24 at various locations in downtown Birmingham and will feature Martin Morrow, Goulash Comedy, Hello City, Blayr Nias, Bernie Maskman, Shane Mauss and more.
Morrow will be performing at the Syndicate Lounge at 8:30 p.m. on May 21.
There are roughly 20-20 independently run comedy shows in Birmingham on a monthly basis, and the Birmingham Comedy Festival plans to bring local talent together for a weekend long comedy showcase.
Morrow said he started in the HTHS band and transitioned into the band at Auburn University, but decided he wanted a different activity to occupy his time, so he fell into comedy.
“I had been doing it sort of as a hobby and on the side,” Morrow said.
The night of the day my dad passed away, I found myself a little more drawn to doing comedy and got stuck into it form there. It seemed like something I felt more passionate about and that I needed to do, versus something I wanted to do.”
Morrow currently resides in Chicago, and has performed in places such as Atlanta, Austin, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, and Portland. He also boasts appearances on Last Comic Standing and Comedy Central.
After spending some time living in New York City and moving back to Birmingham, as Morrow contemplated his next move, he came across an opportunity to move to Chicago to launch his career.
“I was asking advice on what I should do next, and I got the opportunity to move to an apartment in Chicago, which is a lot cheaper than New York,” said Morrow.
Morrow is currently an understudy at the Second City Touring Company, and has also performed at the Laugh Factory.
“Never in my wildest imagination did I think I’d be performing at the Laugh Factory in Chicago,” said Morrow. “It’s been an incredible run so far.”
Morrow was already heading home for a visit the weekend of the comedy festival, and mentioned it to the organizers, who then asked him to be a headliner.
“The timing worked out,” said Morrow. “It’s always fun seeing old friends come and watch, and having them see the material I’ve generated over the last year. And it’s always interesting having my mom in the audience when I perform. Having that interaction is always great.”
Tickets to Morrow’s show are $10, or tickets to the entire Birmingham Comedy Festival can be purchased for $85.
One Comment
Theris Johnson
Sherron